(2019-06-24). Trump Shrugs Off Khashoggi Murder by Saudi Arabia. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — The Saudi murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi remains a major issue internationally, and a major subject in Congressional votes on US-Saudi relations. A recent UN report suggested that a proper FBI investigation could really go a long way toward clarifying the situation. President Trump has rejected the idea, however, and once again suggested that this would …
(2019-06-24). How Mountain Bikes Threaten Wilderness. counterpunch.org Mountain Biking is a significant threat to our wildlands—both in designated preserves like national parks, wilderness areas, and the like, but also Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) and roadless lands that may potentially be given Congressional protection under the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness designation is one of the best ways to protect biodiversity, watersheds, wildlife habitat, More
(2019-06-24). Where Do the Politics of Reparations Go From Here? therealnews.com 
This week, the first congressional hearing on reparations in nearly 12 years was held on Capitol Hill. As the discussion on reparations matures, what needs to happen politically for the effort to move forward?
(2019-06-24). Iran—Who and Where is The Threat? counterpunch.org The official US narrative on Iran is that it is an escalating threat to "peace and security" in the Middle East and must be stopped. Step by step, with Mike Pompeo and John Bolton—two war maniacs—taking the lead, the Trump administration has sought to destabilize Iran with sanctions, if possible bring about regime change, and More
(2019-06-24). Human rights monitors need to be in Sudan, says UNHCR. cgtn.com 
Sudanese authorities must grant human rights monitors access to the country and end "repression" against protesters and restore the country's Internet, U.N. human rights boss Michelle Bachelet said on Monday. | United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet presents her annual report before the UN Human right council members on March 6, 2019 in Geneva. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) | Her office had received reports that more than 100 protesters were killed and many more injured during an assault by security forces on a peaceful sit-in outside the defense ministry on June 3, she said.
(2019-06-24). Palestinians Stand Together in Rejection of Trump's Peace Plan. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump and his son in-law/adviser Jared Kushner are preparing to unveil their so-called "deal of the century" at the Bahrain Summit this week. | RELATED: | Palestinian Foreign Ministry Calls Kushner's Peace Plan 'New Balfour Declaration' | Arab politicians and commentators greeted U.S. President Donald Trump's $50 billion Middle East economic vision with a mixture of derision and exasperation, although some in the Gulf called for it to be gi…
(2019-06-24). Yankee Worship of Bombings and Endless Wars. counterpunch.org "From Syria to Yemen in the Middle East, from Libya to Somalia in Africa, from Afghanistan to Pakistan in South Asia, all forming a U.S. air curtain descending on a huge swath of the planet with the declared goal of fighting terrorism. Its main method is summed up in surveillance, bombardments and more constant bombardments. More
(2019-06-23). Primary Challengers Looking to Repeat AOC Magic Face Uphill Battle in 2020. truthout.org After a midterm cycle featuring a number of high-profile upsets, a few House Democrats are already facing primary challengers in advance of 2020. But candidates looking to repeat the success of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) or Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) have a tough path forward. | Incumbents nearly always have an advantage when it comes to fundraising,…
(2019-06-23). Mobilizing the Poor People's Campaign. commondreams.org Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) addresses the Moral Action Congress of the Poor People's Campaign June 17, 2019 at Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC. The Campaign held the event to focus on issues like "voting rights, health care, housing, equitable education, indigenous sovereignty, living wage jobs and the right to join a union, clean air and water, and an end to gun proliferation and war mongering and other issues in our moral agenda." (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-23). Kushner's Plan is Balfour Declaration II: Palestinian Ministry. telesurenglish.net The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates described the United States-led economic plan for the Middle East as Balfour Declaration II. | RELATED: | US's Kushner: Plan is 'Opportunity' Critics Call 'Out of Step' | In 1917, the British government issued a public statement known as the Balfour Declaration which announced the creation of "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. | "This project does not talk about the economy of the Palestinian state and it…
(2019-06-23). Communists link saving planet to slashing military. peoplesworld.org 
CHICAGO — At the 31st CPUSA National Convention, delegates made it clear that the struggle against climate change is also a struggle for peace. In order to save the planet from ecological disaster, the military budget must be massively cut. As the U.S. has been starting wars around the world for decades, it's fitting that …
(2019-06-23). Somalia eyes peaceful elections despite political challenges. cgtn.com 
FILE PHOTO: A member of the Parliament casts his ballot as he votes for Somalia's autonomous South West State President in Baidoa, Somalia, on December 19, 2018. (Photo credit MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB/AFP/Getty Images) | Senior Somali officials have expressed optimism that the country will hold peaceful and credible elections in 2020/2021 despite the political and socio-economic challenges facing the country. | The officials, who attended a four-day conference organized by the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), urged all government agencies involved in the preparations to work together to achieve universal adult…
(2019-06-23). The US Occupied Middle East. uwidata.com 
One of the most discussed topics in Turkey was America's plan to jointly deploy a military contingent with 7 countries in the territories east of the Euphrates. Recently the US, with the support of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, launched multinational military forces in Syria. Seven states, including the United Kingdom, Germany, …
(2019-06-23). War Propaganda and the US-NATO "War of Terror" Against Syria and Its People. globalresearch.ca Washington-led NATO has always sought to destroy Syria as a functioning state. In order to achieve this goal, its air campaign and its terrorists have continuously targeted infrastructure. Schools, hospitals, and their employees have been targeted either for destruction or …
(2019-06-23). War Propaganda and the US-NATO "War of Terror" Against Syria and Its People. globalresearch.ca Washington-led NATO has always sought to destroy Syria as a functioning state. In order to achieve this goal, its air campaign and its terrorists have continuously targeted infrastructure. Schools, hospitals, and their employees have been targeted for either for destruction …
(2019-06-23). Malians protest, calling for an end to massacres. cgtn.com 
Officials and residents stand on June 11, 2019 in the Dogon village of Sobane-Kou, near Sangha, after an attack that killed over 35 ethnic Dogon on June 9, 2019 evening./AFP | Thousands of Malians demonstrated in Bamako Friday to demand an end to a series of massacres in the centre of the country. | According to the Police 3,000 attended the rally in the capital while organisers said 5,000 turned out to urge an end to a spike in violence which has led UN peacekeepers to declare a state of alert. | Ethnic tensions in the centre of the country have surged since a jihadist group led by preacher Amadou Koufa emerged…
(2019-06-22). Militia Threat Shuts Down Oregon Statehouse. truthdig.com 
SALEM, Ore.—The president of the Oregon Senate ordered the state Capitol to close on Saturday due to a " possible militia threat" from right-wing protesters as a walkout by Republican lawmakers over landmark climate change legislation dragged on. | Republican state senators fled the Legislature — and some, the state — earlier this week to deny the majority Democrats enough votes to take up the climate bill, which would dramatically reduce fossil fuel emissions by 2050. It woul…
(2019-06-22). Adoptee Rights Bill Passes After Decades Long Struggle. blackstarnews.com 
Assemblyman Weprin helped spearhead passage of Clean Bill of Adoptee Rights bill which now heads to Governor Cuomo's desk… | The Clean Bill of Adoptee Rights, A5494/S3419, passed the Assembly after a decade's long push by advocates and lawmakers. | It now heads to Governor Andrew Cuomo for a signature. | The legislation sponsored by Assemblyman David I. Weprin in the Assembly, and Senator Velmanette Montgomery in the Senate, establishes the right of adoptees to receive a certified copy of their birth certificate upon reaching the age of 18. Weprin has sponsored the bill since 2011, during his earliest days…
(2019-06-22). Trump delays ICE deportation raids to see if Congress will work out solution to border crisis. rt.com 
Donald Trump has delayed a planned round-up of illegal immigrants for two weeks so that Democrats and Republicans can work out a solution to the border crisis that has been going on for months.
(2019-06-22). Trump delays ICE deportation raids to see if Congress will work out solution to border crisis. rt.com 
Donald Trump has delayed a planned round-up of illegal immigrants for two weeks so that Democrats and Republicans can work out a solution to the border crisis that has been going on for months.
(2019-06-22). War is hell': as survivor of conflict, Rep. Ilhan Omar makes impassioned case against U.S. attack on Iran. mronline.org 
Addressing President Donald Trump directly, the Minnesota congresswoman said, "Do not listen to the warmongers and war profiteers whispering in your ear." | Source
(2019-06-22). In Venezuela, Bachelet calls on Government to release prisoners, appeals for 'bold steps towards compromise'. un.org Speaking at the end of the first-ever official mission to Venezuela by a UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet called on the Government to release all those detained for peacefully protesting and announced that a team from her office would remain in Caracas to monitor the human rights situation.
(2019-06-22). White House Unveils Palestinian Economic Plan. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration on Saturday unveiled a $50 billion Palestinian investment and infrastructure proposal intended to be the economic engine to power its much-anticipated but still unreleased "deal of the century" Middle East peace plan. | The scheme, which calls for a mix of public and private financing and intends to create at least a million new jobs for Palestinians, was posted to the White House website ahead of a two-day conference in Bahrain that is being held amid heavy skepticism about its viability and outright opposition from the Palestinians. | The so-called "Peace to Prosperity"
(2019-06-22). Colombia: FARC Weighs Legal Action to Combat Murders, Preserve Peace. telesurenglish.net The Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common (FARC) met Saturday in Bogota to devise a legal strategy to combat the mounting number of ex-FARC murder victims before the 2016 peace accord is destroyed. | RELATED: | FARC Slams Duque After Ex-Militant Murdered in Colombia | In a closed-door meeting, FARC officials denounced the 135 murders reported since the peace agreement was signed in November 2016. Their discussion was reportedly focused on finding alternatives to the approach t…
(2019-06-22). US: 11 Die in Hawaii Plane Crash. telesurenglish.net A small plane crashed in Hawaii and erupted into flames, killing all 11 people aboard Friday night, say authorities. The passengers were on a skydiving excursion. | RELATED: | At Least Two Migrants Die, 25 Missing in Boat Crash off Libya | The Beechcraft BE65 twin-engine plane crashed during takeoff Friday from the Dillingham Airfield on Oahu island, the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN. | The cause of the wreck is still unknown. The plane crashed into a fence near the r…
(2019-06-21). After Oregon Republicans Scurry Off to Avoid Voting on Climate Bill, Governor Sends State Police to Bring Them Back. commondreams.org "It is absolutely unacceptable that the Senate Republicans would turn their backs on their constituents who they are honor-bound to represent here in this building." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-21). Brazil: Attorney General Rejects Dropping Charges Against Lula. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Attorney General Raquel Dodge upheld her opposition to the possible nullification of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's prison sentence for alleged corruption after new information arising from leaked conversations of former judge Sergio Moro admitting his political biases in the case. | RELATED | Brazil: Moro Testifies to Senate to Discredit Intercept Exposé | In a document sent to the Supreme Federal Tribunal (SFT), Dodge expressed her "refusal of the petition t…
(2019-06-21). Headlines for June 21, 2019. democracynow.org Report: Trump Ordered Military Strikes on Iran But Then Pulled Back, Democrats: Congressional Approval Is Needed Before Attacking Iran, Senate Votes to Block Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia & UAE over Yemen War, U.K. Court Rules British Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia Were Unlawful on Humanitarian Grounds, Federal Court Rules in Favor of Trump Administration Title X Abortion "Gag Rule", Detained Migrant Children Denied Adequate Food, Water & Sanitation in Texas, Trump Administration Says Detained Children Not Entitled to Soap, Toothbrushes & Beds, Protest Planned over U.S. Plan to House Children at Site of Former WWII I…
(2019-06-21). Senate Deals Blow to US-Saudi/UAE Arms Deal. therealnews.com 
With seven Republican Senators joining all Democrats, the Senate voted to nix an $8 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia and UAE, because of the war in Yemen. But the battle to stop US involvement is far from over, says Hassan el -Tayyab…
(2019-06-21). Socialist Senate vote rises. greenleft.org.au 
The Australian Electoral Commission's final tally for the NSW Senate vote in the May 18 federal election shows the Socialist Alliance (SA) winning 6058 first preference vote. This is 12.5% higher than its 2016 tally (5385) and more than double its 2013 vote (2728). | This rise occurred despite having run more substantial campaigns and multiple lower house candidates in previous elections. SA did not run candidates for the House of Representatives in NSW this time. | SA's Senate vote rose in all but 6 NSW electoral divisions compared with 2016, confirming a general rise in support for socialist candidates. | Thoug…
(2019-06-21). Your Vote Matters, As Democratic Legislature Delivers Big for New Yorkers — De Blasio. blackstarnews.com 
Mayor de Blasio. Photo: ABC screenshot | | When New Yorkers went to the polls in November, they voted for real Democrats in the State Senate and a new day in Albany. As we tally up the score card for the end of session, one thing is clear: New Yorkers have won big on a host of progressive legislation that will help make our state fairer. | | The legislature wasted no time passing key reforms we have spent years fighting for. With Mayoral Accountability, our students and parents can rest assured that we'll continue to build upon our progress and that responsibility for the quality of our school system is cent…
(2019-06-21). Congress Must Use Its Authority to Prevent War With Iran. thenation.com Congress Must Use Its Authority to Prevent War With Iran…
(2019-06-21). As Trump Claims Power to Bomb Iran at Whim, Anti-War Voices Say: 'Where Is Congress?' and 'Peace Begins With Us'. commondreams.org "Decisions about war and peace should not be left to the whims of a president who is ill-prepared, ill-informed and ill-advised." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-21). 'Politicians in Washington need courage to vote on wars,' lawmaker lashes out at Iran hawks. rt.com 
A handful of Republicans have joined the chorus urging the Trump administration to hold back on war with Iran, reminding the president the Constitution doesn't allow him to unilaterally declare war – and the voters don't want it.
(2019-06-21). "Sully" Sullenberger testifies that the 737 Max 8 was "fatally flawed" wsws.org The airline captain's statement to Congress exposed the negligence of Boeing and questioned the relationship between the company and regulatory agencies.
(2019-06-21). Facebook's Authoritarian Money Grab. truthdig.com 
"Don't be surprised," said Terence Ray, one of the hosts of the Whitesburg, Ky.-based podcast "The Trillbillies," "if Mark Zuckerberg starts trying to pay his employees in 'Facebook Bucks.' " Ray made that comment in late May during a Means TV segment on the history of company money, or scrip, which was used throughout the 19th and 20th centuries by mining and logging companies in the United States. In some cases, scrip was still changing hands decades after it was made officially illegal by the Fair Labor Standards Act o…
(2019-06-21). Her Mother Was Killed by U.S.-Backed Security Forces. Now Lucrecia Mack Is in Guatemala's Congress. democracynow.org 
In a Guatemalan election marked by fraud and corruption, Lucrecia Hernández Mack is one of just a few new faces in politics sparking hope in the country, after being elected as a legislator in the Guatemalan Congress with the progressive party Movimiento Semilla. Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal announced Thursday it will hold a recount amid fraud allegations following last Sunday's presidential and legislative elections. Hernández Mack is the daughter of renowned Guatemalan anthropologist Myrna Mack, who was murdered by U.S.-backed Guatemalan security forces on September 11, 1990, during the country's brut…
(2019-06-21). Trump Dissmisses Sexual Assault Allegation Against Journalist. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump is denying all allegations of sexual assault made by journalist and writer, E. Jean Carroll, dismissing her claims as a publicity stunt. | RELATED: | Cohen Calls President 'Racist, Conman' Before Congress | In her book, "What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal," the 76-year-old author revealed she had been sexually assaulted by both Trump and the former CBS TV head Les Moonves in late 1995 or early 1996. | An excerpt released by New Yo…
(2019-06-21). 'Cut the Check': The Americans Who Deserve Reparations Walk Among Us. thenation.com 'Cut the Check': The Americans Who Deserve Reparations Walk Among Us…
(2019-06-21). Greg Palast Wins Mexico's Top Journalism Award: The 2019 International Reporter Prize For Exposés On Election Thefts. blackstarnews.com 
Greg Palast won Mexico's International Reporter Prize for reporting on election thefts–like the 2018 Georgia's Governor's race in U.S. | As 2015 Nobel Peace Prize nominee and multiple award winning journalist Daniel Estulin (who introduced Greg Palast at Mexico's prestigious award show) recently wrote about the event: " Surrounded by journalist celebrities from all over the world, Palast along with the absent Julian Assange was the star attraction. He is admired and respected by so many attendees for his fearless reporting against the deep state he so courageously exposes. " | The Association of M…
(2019-06-21). Mali: Thousands Protest Inter-Ethnic Violence in Call for Peace. telesurenglish.net Thousands of Malian protesters filled the streets of Bamako Friday to reject the violent massacres taking place in the country. | RELATED: | Nearly 100 People Massacred in Central Mali, 19 missing | "Too much blood has been spilled. It has to stop or there will be no life left in the centre of Mali," said Habitatou Diallo one of the alleged 5,000 participants of Friday's large-scale protest. | The movement was organized by a youth group and promoted peace and acceptance, encouraging M…
(2019-06-21). Ould Abdel Aziz era in Mauritania nears its end. cgtn.com 
Mauritanians will vote for a new president on Saturday in what is expected to be the West African country's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. | President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania. / AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images) | President Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz leaves office after serving two five-year terms since he took power in a coup in 2008. | Abdel Aziz, an ally of Western powers in the fight against Islamists in the Sahel region, leaves behind an economy that has picked up since 2017 after a drop in the price of iron ore dented export…
(2019-06-21). US Exceptionalism: Exploiting Certain Syrians, Ignoring Others. globalresearch.ca Syria and Russia have been evacuating civilians from yet another region starved by its Western-backed terrorists. But Western corporate media ignore this and instead continue spinning nightmarish war propaganda on Syria. | Predictably, copy-paste Syrian reports emanate from Western governments and …
(2019-06-21). Bias, Lies and Videotape: Doubts Dog 'Confirmed' Syria Chemical Attacks. globalresearch.ca Thanks to an explosive internal memo, there is no reason to believe the claims put forward by the Syrian opposition that President Bashar al-Assad's government used chemical weapons against innocent civilians in Douma back in April. This is a scenario …
(2019-06-21). Syria: 'Deplorable' violence in Idlib against civilians, humanitarian workers must 'stop immediately': UN Coordinator. un.org Acts of violence against civilians, humanitarian workers and civilian infrastructure in Idlib are "deplorable", the United Nations Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis said on Friday, condemning them "in the strongest terms".
(2019-06-21). The responses to a Tory minister's alleged assault of a protester sum up Britain in 2019. thecanary.co 
On 20 June, chancellor Philip Hammond spoke at Mansion House. Greenpeace interrupted the black-tie event to protest the government's handling of the climate emergency we all face. During the course of the protest, minister Mark Field grabbed a protester by the neck and then proceeded to shove her out of the building. | Field now faces accusations of assault, while the protester is receiving support from people all over the country. The responses t…
(2019-06-20). Centrists within US Democrats fear a leftward political slide if Trump impeached. greenleft.org.au 
No matter how reprehensible one considers former US president Bill Clinton's actions to have been in the Monica Lewinsky case, they dwarf in comparison to the actions of Donald Trump. The Republicans impeached Clinton and then moved to remove him from office. Hasn't Pelosi heard of tit for tat? | Similarly, Mitch McConnell, Republican leader of the Senate, has stated that if a Supreme Court vacancy occurs in 2020, the Republicans would fill it — the exact opposite of what the party did in 2016, with the argument that regardless of who former president Barack Obama chose to fill the court's vacancy, let vote…
(2019-06-20). Senate Votes to Block Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 20, 2019 — In response to the Senate voting to block arms sales involving Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "When Trump vetoed legislation earlier this year to end U.S. involvement …
(2019-06-20). Ta-Nehisi Coates: Reparations Are Not Just About Slavery But Also Centuries of Theft & Racial Terror. democracynow.org 
On the heels of Wednesday's historic hearing on reparations, we speak with renowned writer Ta-Nehisi Coates on the lasting legacy of American slavery, how the national dialogue about reparations has progressed in the past five years and his testimony in favor of H.R. 40, which took direct aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Coates says, "It is absolutely impossible to imagine America without enslavement."
(2019-06-20). Headlines for June 20, 2019. democracynow.org Iran Shoots Down U.S. Drone, But Officials Dispute Territory of Incident, House Dems Grill Trump's Iran Rep. over War Authorization, Congress Holds Historic Hearing on Reparations, 2020 Dems Slam Joe Biden for Praising Segregationist Lawmakers, Dems Vow to Compel Hope Hicks Testimony After She Refuses to Answer House Questions, Trump's EPA Rolls Back Coal Restrictions, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un Meet for Talks in North Korea, U.N.: 71 Million People Displaced Worldwide Last Year, 4 People Charged in Downing of 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight Over Eastern Ukraine, Rev. Barber Calls for "Moral Budget" to Respond to P…